


Spotlight

by Celeste_Riddle



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-21
Updated: 2019-04-21
Packaged: 2020-01-23 15:23:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,882
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18552490
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Celeste_Riddle/pseuds/Celeste_Riddle
Summary: Neville and Pansy have some ups and downs, turning the spotlight on each other.Characters belong to J.K. Rowling.





	Spotlight

**Author's Note:**

> Written for Sing-Me-A-Rare Volume 3. Much love to my Beta who shall remain nameless for the moment.
> 
> Song Prompt: Spotlight - Jennifer Hudson

_ How did it come to this? _ Pansy wondered as she prepped tonight’s dinner. It was a question Pansy had been wondering over and over about her relationship with Neville for the better part of the past year. When considering they’d been together for three total, that wasn’t looking good. Hard to believe they had first started out so well when she compared how they were then to now.

 

Her original betrothal contract to Draco was broken after the Dark Lord fell due to a hidden clause that if either her own father or Draco’s father were to be deemed as a traitor in any respect, the contract would become null and void. Of course the hidden clause had been written by her father and not even Lucius Malfoy had been aware of its existence until he received notice from the Ministry after the battle. Apparently by Lord Parkinson’s definition, the only way Lucius could’ve gotten away with not fighting in the final battle without being deemed a traitor to the dark would’ve been if Lucius had been killed. Apparently the fact the dark lord was in possession of Lucius’ wand counted for nothing. It hadn’t been long after that, before Draco was seen often with the younger Greengrass, Astoria, on his arm.

 

Of course after all the funerals, every Slytherin in her year, herself included had been outcast by society whether they were branded as Death Eaters or not. But Pansy herself had gotten the worst of the backlash as it had been her who had personally called for everyone to turn Harry Potter over to the death eaters and the dark lord. Even when Potter himself stood up for her, that hadn’t been enough for it to stop entirely towards her. It just instead stopped whenever he was in the area.

 

But then she hooked up with Neville a week after they'd met again at the anniversary memorial benefit at Hogwarts. But when they first got together, Pansy's plan had been to use him to help build her own reputation back up in the world. She was definitely attractive but being that he had been essentially the second commander for the D.A. in seventh year during the war and had been the very one to slice off the head of the dark lord's familiar, his public standing was way over that of her own.

 

Even as Neville doted on her, she took advantage. She'd bed him and leave out to party as soon as he was sleep. Bedding whoever she wanted to before slipping back home. When Ronald Weasley had first confronted her on Neville's behalf in front of Neville at that, she brushed it off and soothed her Gryffindor’s worries. Or so she thought, even as she continued her behavior. A month later, she'd come stumbling in the house at three o'clock in the morning only to find Neville wide awake and waiting for her in the living room.

 

“And just where were you?” Neville asked as he looked at her intensely, his tone calm yet seething.

 

Pansy gulped silently and cleared her throat to regain her composure. “Out.”

 

“Out where, Pansy?” He narrowed his eyes. “Because I could’ve sworn that when we went to bed hours ago, that you went straight to sleep like I did. So just what was important enough to have you going out in the middle of the night without so much as a quick note left behind?” He crossed his arms.

 

“I woke up, had a nightmare and needed some air.” She waved him off. “So I went for a -”

 

“Save it Pansy.” He interrupted, putting one hand up to stop her. “No woman gets all dolled up to go for a walk by themselves in the middle of the night. Not even you. Not to mention you know good and well that if you need me to wake up because of a night terror, I’ll do it if you actually try to wake me. So...where were you? Or let me guess...Ron was right all along, wasn’t he?”

 

“Why should I have to tell you where I’ve been? I’m an adult!” Pansy yelled and stepped closer, getting defensive. “Matter of fact, why do you care? Don’t act like you aren’t just dating me out of pity! You Gryffindors and your bloody bleeding hearts!” She turned to face the door to hide the tears that were threatening to fall. “It’s definitely not out of spite towards Potter! You’re too close to him for that! Why else would you date the stupid snake that tried to turn him over to the dark lord? Regardless of the fact that he ended up doing it himself in the end.” She hugged herself tight as she started to shake. It was finally going to be the end of them. She just knew it. All along she’d been waiting for the ball to drop.

 

Neville sighed as he stood up and walked over to her. “Oh, you oughta be ashamed of yourself. What the hell do you think you’re doing.” He wrapped his arms around her from behind as he kissed her cheek. “Baby all I do is try to show you that you’re my one and only.”

 

Pansy sniffled and shook her head. “Yeah sure. You’re just trying to make me feel better...or more guilty….or both. It’s just pretty lies.”

 

Neville turned her around to face him and cupped her face in his hands. “You are my one and only, no matter who may come along, if you actually want this to work between us.” He kissed her forehead. “Open your eyes…” He kissed her nose. “Cause Baby, I don’t lie.” He kissed her lips softly before pulling back to look her in the eyes. “So what do you say? Wanna really try to be an ‘Us’?”

 

Pansy pouted as she looked into his eyes and seeing no sign of deception, finally let the tears fall. “Yes. I want to try.” She buried her face into his chest as she sobbed, barely noticing as his arms wrapped around her once more.

 

That had been half a year ago. They had started anew, going on dates together, just the two of them once more. They talked and were working things out. Pansy had stopped sneaking out to go do other things or people at night. Things went good for three months. But just as quickly, it soon went south again.

 

Suddenly, Neville had taken on a sort of split persona aspect to his character. Out in public or private things with his friends, he was sweet and doting on her like he’d always been. But behind closed doors when it was just the two of them at home, he had become a completely different person towards her. It was as if no longer did he trust her, but he didn’t want to really share her with her own friends.

 

She wasn’t allowed to go out without a chaperone, which was usually one of his female friends with the most often chosen being Hermione. All correspondence from her friends had to go through him first in that he got first look at the content before she did.There were wards added on their home to prevent her friends from doing pop-up visits. He even had changed the password on the floo so that he could monitor floo calls.

 

But three months of it was too much. And Pansy realized, she was done. She missed  _ HER  _ Neville and it was time to get him back. To fight one last time for them. She turned off the stove just as the floo flared, signaling Neville’s return from work.

 

“Welcome home love!” She called out as she started fixing their plates and bringing it to the table. They’d talk about things, whether he really wanted to or not while they ate. “Dinner’s ready! I made your favorite.”

 

He walked into the kitchen and kissed her cheek. “It smells good Pansy.” He smiled and sat down in front of his plate.

 

“Hopefully you’ll find it just as good.” Pansy smiled sweetly as she sat down as well. 

 

The two started eating. Pansy waited until they were almost through before speaking up.

 

“Neville….we need to talk.” Pansy started, not looking up from her plate.

 

Neville raised an eyebrow at her words. “About what?”

 

“About us.”She explained as she looked up at him.”Tell me, is this a relationship fulfilling your needs as well as mine?”

 

Neville sat back and crossed his arms. “Well of course it is.”

 

“Really?” Pansy cocked her eyebrow and sat a little straighter. “Sure it’s not just my sentence? Am I doing time?”

 

“Wherever did you get that idea, Parkinson?” He stood up then.

 

“Parkinson, is it now?” Pansy stood up, her hair sparking in anger with her magic. “Maybe it’s the fact I have limited communication with my friends. I’m forced to have a chaperone with me when I go out. I might as well be in a muggle prison.”

 

“Would you rather a muggle prison or azkaban?” He asked smugly.

 

Pansy narrowed her eyes for a moment. “Something’s definitely not right.” She murmured. In one swift movement, she pulled her wand and aimed it right at him. “Finite Incantatem!”

 

Neville was blown back by the force of the spell, knocking into a wall with a grunt before sinking to the floor.

 

Pansy sighed and walked over to him cautiously, her wand arm at the ready as a precaution. “Neville…?”

 

Neville groaned and shook his head. “Pansy?” He slowly lifted his head to look at her. “What’s going on? Why am I on the floor?”

 

Pansy sank down on the floor next to him. “I’ll tell you in a moment. I promise. But first, what do you remember of the last three months?”

 

“The last three months? Has it really been that long?” He looked at her in confusion. “To be honest, not a bloody thing really. The last thing I do remember is having a lunch meeting with your father in Hogsmeade at the Three Broomsticks. I don’t even remember leaving it.”

 

“With my father?” Why were you meeting with him?” Pansy was confused and suspicious at the news.

 

“He’d said he’d wanted to let bygones be bygones.” Neville held the back of his head. “That he wanted the chance to get to know me one-on-one.” He sighed. “And he’d asked me not to tell you.”

 

Upon seeing him holding the back of his head, Pansy summoned a pillow and set it behind him. “Hate to tell you love, but he tricked you and managed to imperious you.” She kissed his forehead before standing up and heading over to grab an ice pack.

 

“Do I even want to know what all he had me do?” Neville glanced at her.

 

“Not really. It was a lot.” She brought the ice pack to him. “And I’m sorry I didn’t catch on what happened sooner.”

 

“It’s alright Pansy.” Neville smiled at her as he took the ice pack and pressed it against his head.

 

“I knew my father hated you, but I didn’t realize his hatred would go this far.” Pansy shook her head. “I’ll go fire call Potter and tell him to bring a healer.”

 


End file.
